Airports Must Plan, Pay For Own Security
By Tom Korski, www.blacklocks.ca
National airports face increased costs for security and screening under new regulations. Transport Canada ordered that managers at 89 airports across the country conduct their own anti-terror security training and “risk assessments” subject to federal audits.
“Security issues are left to airports,” one industry official told Blacklock’s. “We know it is going to be expensive to go this route.”
The transport department currently checks compliance with its Canadian Aviation Security Regulations on handling terrorist attacks, bomb threats and hijackings. New amendments would put the onus on airport management to train employees and plan for emergencies, and submit risk assessments to the department for approval and updates.
“It’s self-regulation to a certain degree, with compliance and external audits,” said Mark Laroche, president and CEO of the Ottawa International Airport Authority. “With us it’s part of doing business. There are soft costs, but it is not material to what we do already.”
Transport Canada declined an interview. “Inflexible security processes and practices may become predictable,” the department wrote in a regulatory notice; “Requiring aviation security programs for airports is expected to increase the capacity and preparedness of operators and their tenants to address security threats, risks and incidents.”
“You can’t write a regulation for everything,” said Merlin Preuss, vice-president of regulatory affairs for the Canadian Business Aviation Association. “Security management systems are supposed to forecast issues with a robust reporting system. From our perspective, we’re quite happy with this.” Under the new rules airports must:
•Draft evacuation plans in case of bombings and hijackings;
•Conduct annual security risk assessments for department approval, and hold biannual security drills;
•Appoint and train security officers, with records kept for federal audits;
•Introduce “security awareness programs” for employees.
“Our community has advocated this for years,” Preuss said. “You find things that regulations may not cover, and should be able to figure out the cause.”
Transport Canada estimated added costs for airport managers will total millions of dollars but noted, “Unknown costs could arise”. Security expenses would result in higher charges for air travellers, though regulators dismissed the expense as incidental: “Given the overall cost of air travel to passengers, including ticket prices, other fees, and taxes, these potential incremental costs would not likely have a significant impact on the cost of flying or demand for air travel.”
The new security program is similar to introduction of Safety Management Systems in civil aviation that have prompted complaints of inadequate checks on compliance. The Commons transport committee earlier heard criticism from the Union of Canadian Transportation Employees and Canadian Federal Pilots Association that regulators stepped back from on-site inspections of carriers – a claim disputed by airlines and Transport Canada management.
Preuss said requiring airports to draft their own safety and security preparedness measures remains feasible: “Safety and security are good for business,” he said.
In a separate order, Transport Canada mandated that effective July 14 airports must introduce security screening of all employees and couriers in restricted non-passenger areas of airports. Random screening has been underway since 2004. The mandatory checks will cost $3.6 million annually.